


Sensible Rules

by BettyHT



Category: Bonanza
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-23
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-08-06 10:21:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16386083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BettyHT/pseuds/BettyHT
Summary: This is a prequel with Joe at fifteen and started as a Bonanza Brand pinecone.  Little Joe faces a crisis when an important rule is ignored.  He needs his family to face the results of that sad decision.  There are lessons to be learned but the whole family works together, and all will learn from one tragic mistake.





	Sensible Rules

Sensible Rules

Watching his friend dive, Little Joe Cartwright was impressed. He cut into the water as well or better than Adam hardly creating a splash at all. Little Joe was more of an energetic diver doing all kinds of stunts so when he hit the water, they was often more of a splash, and Hoss made no pretense of fine form and landed feet first in a gigantic geyser when he was there. On this unusually hot May day, it was only the two of them though and Joe was nervous. He had told Billy not to dive off that boulder that jutted off at an angle. It looked like a perfect launching pad for a dive, but ever since he had come here with his brothers, Adam had warned him that diving there was too dangerous. They wouldn't do it and wouldn't let Little Joe risk it either. Billy however had dived twice and told Little Joe that his older brothers were like two old ladies afraid of a little deep water. It was then that it happened, and nothing Little Joe did then could help nor were there any words to take the sting away when he had to bring Billy's body to his family. His neck was broken when he dove deep and straight into the underwater boulder that had been the reason Adam had said not to dive there. It was dark gray granite and couldn't be seen from above blending perfectly with the bottom. Billy had been lucky on the first two dives. On the third, his luck ran out.

After completing his dive, Little Joe had watched his friend dive but when he didn't surface, he knew what had happened even before he swam over and found his fear realized. Towing Billy's body to shore was almost more than he could manage but somehow, he found the strength. What nearly overwhelmed him though was to see the eyes open but the chest not moving. There was no hope for helping him and he knew it. Getting him on his horse and taking him to his family used what little strength the fifteen-year-old had left. By the time he left their ranch, he was exhausted and numb.

When Little Joe got home, Ben was ready to lambast him for being so late and worrying the family. Adam and Hoss were already saddling horses to go look for him. However the look he had was enough for all three to wait to hear what had happened. The teen was pale and drawn. Even in the light of a lantern, they could see that. His voice was soft but clear.

"Billy's dead, Pa."

Unable to do anything more, in tears, Little Joe collapsed into his father's arms, and it was quite a while before they heard the rest of the story. It came out in bits and pieces with a few well placed questions by his father.

When he finished telling the tale, Hoss slammed a hand on the stall next to him. "Dadburnit, Little Joe, how many times did Adam tell ya not ta dive there?"

Any further comment by Hoss was stopped by Adam who put a hand on Hoss' arm. Hoss looked at Adam and wanted to say something more, but Adam shook his head. The look he had of profound sadness made Hoss drop his head. Adam kept a hand on Hoss' shoulder and stood by his larger brother and looked sympathetically at both younger brothers.

"Hoss, I'm sure Joe told him."

Relief was evident in Little Joe's expression. "I did, Adam. I told him what you said. He wouldn't listen to me. He said that the world is full of zanies and fools who don't believe in sensible rules. He said you and Hoss were like old ladies being too cautious. He thought the rule was because it was too high. I told him you would have had a better reason than that. He just wouldn't believe me."

"Joe, some people have to learn by experience, and in this case, that was a tragic way to go. Tomorrow, if it's all right with Pa, would you like to help me set a powder charge or two under that boulder and blow it into the lake?"

"I would!"

Both looked to Ben. Hoss looked at all three.

"Ifn it's all right, I'd like to help too."

"I think we'll make it a family affair. Joe and Hoss, I don't want either of you near the blasting though. Adam, you and I will set the charges and lay the cord. We can include Joe and Hoss in setting off the charges."

"I was figuring on maybe letting them help dig the holes for the charges."

"All right, we can let them do that, but once the powder is going to be placed, I want them to be well back."

"Agreed."

The next morning, the four of them headed out to complete that task with all the tools and the black powder kegs. When they got there, Adam looked over the area and turned to Little Joe.

"It's probably going to ruin this area for diving."

Looking down at the lake and over to where Billy had died, Little Joe pursed his lips and thought about that. "I guess I wouldn't want to dive here any more. Every time I did, I would think about what happened. Maybe It would be best if no one ever dived here again."

So they spent the morning determining the best place for the charges, digging the holes, and then Ben and Adam set the charges and laid the cord. When it was ready, they had Little Joe light the fuses. They waited for the explosions that toppled the massive boulder into the lake. As Adam expected, it took some of the other rocks down with it and littered the whole area below with enough hazards that no one would dive there again. As they packed up the tools, Little Joe had a question.

"Should we go tell Billy's family what we did?"

"Son, eventually we will, but right now, the pain they feel is too raw. All they would want to know is why we didn't do this before he died so tragically. No, we can tell them when the pain has diminished from the stabbing heartache to the dull throbbing ache."

"Does it ever go away, Pa? You know, the pain of losing someone: does it ever end?"

"Not really. It gets to be less and less and you have the good memories, but the loss is always there. I have you three, but I still miss my ladies."

"So Billy's family will always miss him?"

"His parents will especially. But yes, they will always miss him. I hope the story of what happened here gets to be well known though. I would hope that maybe some other young man who thinks he's invincible might pause before testing that theory and think about the pain he would cause his family."

Little Joe was quiet on the way home thinking about some of the stunts he had tried in the past year, but Hoss and Adam were thinking too of some of the things they had done. Perhaps all of them could be more careful in their decisions for the sake of their family.


End file.
